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Bird by Bird:

Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Front Cover
2685 Reviews
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Dec 18, 2007 - Reference - 272 pages
"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was  ten years old at the time, was trying to get a  report on birds written that he'd had three months to  write. It was due the next day. We were out at our  family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen  table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper  and pencils and unopened books on birds,  immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my  father sat down beside him, put his arm around my  brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy.  Just take it bird by bird.'"


From the Trade Paperback edition.

What people are saying - Write a review

User ratings

5 stars
1286
4 stars
873
3 stars
305
2 stars
93
1 star
29

Great writing advice, funny, cynical, entertaining. - Goodreads
Good advice for angst-ridden whiners - Goodreads
Good writing pointers - Goodreads
Amazing insights into writing and human nature. - Goodreads
Reading instructions is not compelling after a while. - Goodreads
Easy to read but very beneficial and interesting. - Goodreads

Review: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

User Review  - Amy - Goodreads

This is a very funny and very useful book. On one page I would be struck by the deep insights into writing, and then suddenly I would find myself laughing at a joke Lamott made. Really thoughtful ... Read full review

Review: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

User Review  - David - Goodreads

If Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them focused on reading to impact and improve one's writing, Bird by Bird focuses on enjoying the process of ... Read full review

All 2685 reviews »

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About the author (2007)

Anne Lamott lives with her son, Sam, in northern California. She is the author of five books, including the novels Hard Laughter, Rosie, Joe Jones, and All New People. Her last book, Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year, was published by Pantheon in 1993.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Bibliographic information